Lame (lām), a. [Compar.Lamer (?); superl.Lamest.] [OE. lame, AS. lama; akin to D. lam, G. lahm,OHG., Dan., & Sw. lam, Icel. lami, Russ. lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.] 1. (a) Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury, defect, or temporary obstruction of a function; as, a lame leg, arm, or muscle. (b) To some degree disabled by reason of the imperfect action of a limb; crippled; as, a lame man. “Lame of one leg.” Arbuthnot. “Lame in both his feet.” 2 Sam. ix. 13. “He fell, and became lame.” 2 Sam. iv. 4.
2. Hence, hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect. “A lame endeavor.” Barrow.
O, most lame and impotent conclusion! Shak.
Lame duck(stock Exchange), a person who can not fulfill his contracts.